Rock Valley College names Mike Mastroianni president

Tuesday

Apr 8, 2014 at 11:21 AMApr 8, 2014 at 9:43 PM

By Susan VelaRockford Register Star

ROCKFORD — Mike Mastroianni has gone from being a Rock Valley College alumnus to its next president.

Officials from the region’s largest community college made the announcement Tuesday, with applause from more than 100 students, community members, instructors and administrators ringing in the lobby of the Karl J. Jacobs Center for Science and Math, a 106,000-square-foot building that houses science and math classrooms.

“I’m very happy to announce in a very forward-looking building named after one of our most notable presidents that the board has decided to extend an offer to Mr. Mastroianni,” board Chairman Mike Dunn Jr. said.

Applause continued for nearly a minute.

“That’s how we felt when we first named him interim and then compared him against a number of top-notch candidates. Mike was still a very, very easy choice for us to make.”

Mastroianni began serving as interim president in January, when President Jack Becherer left six months before his contract was scheduled to expire.

Mastroianni has private-sector experience and has worked in multiple roles at RVC, a campus of 8,600 students that serves a population of 340,000 in programming, outreach, and college courses for high school students and other endeavors.

A first-generation college student, Mastroianni received an associate degree from Rock Valley and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Rockford College.

“I am humbled with the support and honored by” the community’s outreach,” he said. “We’re going to create critical thinkers like we always have, enlighten citizens who come to our college who are working with our excellent faculty.

“We’re also going to be involved in Transform Rockford. This is a movement that will change how we view ourselves. It’s important that we change that view and that we move forward. We’re going to make the best decisions that we can for the good of the region and for the good of the school. It’s going to be happening, partnerships internally and externally.”

Mastroianni was chosen over Elizabeth Burmaster, president of Nicolet College in Rhinelander, Wis., and John Hogan, associate vice president of student affairs at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis.

Laura Urban, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Gateway Community and Technical College in Florence, Ky., dropped out of the running for another job.

Trustees are expected to approve a new contract, perhaps this week, that will secure Mastroianni a raise of up to 6 percent. According to the Illinois Community College Board, his base 2013 pay was $117,268. Mastroianni could make about $124,300 a year. Becherer received $178,942.

“It’s not a flat salary because what’s involved is a state of Illinois limitation on how much an employee can see in a pay raise every year,” Dunn said. “It has to do with the retirement system. So there’s a 6 percent cap. It’s very unfortunate that if we hired an out-of-town president we could set the salary where we want.

“Because we’re hiring internally, we’re capped.”

Students hung out in the lobby after the crowd thinned. Some were pleased that a lifelong Rockfordian would be their school’s next leader.